The 2022 FIFA World cup is scheduled to be the 22^nd edition Football world cup to take place in Qatar. The quadrennial international men’s association football championship contested/ hosted by the national teams of FIFA member associations.

Qatar unveiled the logo of Football World Cup 2022 which is going to be hosted by the Gulf Emirates. The anxiety aggregates/ emerges when people watch debutants like Iceland, holding a leading football giant (cup), Argentina to a 1-1 draw.

Location: Qatar

Venue: in 5, 8 or 12 host countries

Hosting country: Qatar

Dates: 21 November 2022 (Monday)-18 December 2022 (Sunday)

Total Participating teams: 32 (from 5 to 6 confederations)

The fan following of FIFA World cup in India is increasing by many leaps & bounds. More & more young footballers should be promoted to play in European leagues. The official emblem of Qatar 2022 revealed in synchronized display in the capital city, Doha & another 24 major cities across or around the world. Doha says that the competition will serve as test events for the 2022 World cup which will be hosted by the Gulf state.

The emblem is just an example of the bold & the modern tournament that emphasises the spirit of gaming & sporting championship among the enthusiastic football players all over the world.

Players from a number of major metropolitan cities throughout the globe are going to participate in the celebration of the milestone. Some of the best-known footballers & FIFA World cup legends are also taking to social media & coming forward to support the launch & share the emblem with millions of their fan following.

Qualification Process

Total no. of teams to take part in the AFC qualification for FIFA World cup is 46 in number (excluding Qatar). These teams will be arranged in ascending order of their respective FIFA rankings. Presently, India stands at the 14^th place in AFC with an overall FIFA ranking of 97.

First Round (Feb 2019-March 2019)

12 National Teams ranked from 35 to 46 in AFC will play the 1st preliminary round. Each team will be drawn against one opponent to play. 6 winner teams on the aggregate score will progress further to the second round.

NOTE: India need not play this round because of their improved FIFA ranking.

Second Round (April 2019-April 2020)

Six qualified teams of the First Round and 34 top AFC teams will be drawn into 8 groups. Each group will consist of 5 teams. Matches will be played in Round Robin format. Every team will face every other team of the group. 3 points will be awarded for every win and 1 point for a draw. In case of equal points ranking will be decided on the difference of no. of goals.

The top team of each group and the 4 best second teams of the groups will move forward towards the third round.

NOTE: India will be granted direct entry to this round. Leading the group will be quite a tough task but finishing second in the group and progressing through as one of the best-placed second teams will be definitely on the cards.

Third Round (September 2020 – September 2021)

All 12 teams will be divided into 2 groups in this round. For one year every team will play home and away fixtures with its counterparts. Points and ranking rules will remain the same as the previous round. Top two teams of each group will receive the golden ticket to the FIFA World Cup 2022. The group will consist of Asian Giants like Australia, Japan, South Korea, Iran, and Saudi Arabia.

If India makes it to this round it will be a fantastic milestone for the country. If India qualifies for this round, it will be only a single step away from following/ chasing towards its dream to play FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar.

NOTE: It will be a difficult task for the Blue Tigers to find a place among the top two places. In case India finishes the third round as the third-ranked team in the group, they can still have chances to appear/ participate in the FIFA World Cup 2022.

Fourth Round (October 2021)

This round is applicable to the teams finishing 3^rd in their respective groups of 3^rd round. The 3^rd placed teams of each individual group will play to decide which team will represent the AFC.

Fifth Round (November 2021)

Winner teams of the 4^th round will play inter-confederation playoff against a team of one another confederation (CONCACAF, CONMEBOL or OFC). The opponent team will be selected by draws & the aggregate result will decide which team is going to play FIFA World cup 2022.

NOTE: It is very difficult to expect India to finish among the top 3 countries in a highly competitive group consisting of top Asian teams. If India can make through as a team for AFC for inter-confederation playoffs, it is likely to face teams like Peru, Honduras, New Zealand, etc in this round.

Qatar & FIFA’s president holds the decision. Let’s meet in 2022, he said.